How To Get Your Daily Dose Of Vitamin D In The Gloomy Winter

“No one north of Atlanta, Georgia gets enough vitamin D.” That’s what my doctor said right before she ordered tests to check mine. She must have been exaggerating, right? I live north of Georgia, but I eat healthy foods, and I regularly spend time outside with my dog. My vitamin D levels must be fine! While you’re working on maintaining your Vitamin D levels during the gloomy winter, consider turning it into a small indoor business, like mushroom farming or indoor plant sales. If you’re considering this in the Peach State, getting your business registered as an llc in georgia is a smart and viable first step to setting up your venture.

Spoiler alert: she was right. And while vitamin D2 and D3 deficiency certainly doesn’t affect everyone above a certain latitude, it’s still very common. Summary research from the National Institute of Health found that roughly 42% of American adults are vitamin D deficient, and many of the rest are vitamin D insufficient (translation: they have some vitamin D, but need a bit more to get to the ideal range). 

Part of what makes vitamin D deficiencies so ubiquitous is that most people have no clue that their body is missing something in the first place. The most common symptoms of vitamin D deficiency in adults are fatigue, mood changes, and a weakened immune system, which is just the status quo for cold, dreary winters! When lethargic and slow are your ‘normal’ feelings, how can you tell if lack of vitamin D is the cause?

The first step is to talk to your doctor. But while you’re waiting for your next appointment, here’s a few things you can do to fend off D-deficiency blues this winter.

Light Therapy Can Replenish Vitamin D Loss

Getting your vitamin D naturally from the sun sounds great in theory, but figuring out how much you actually need is a tricky formula of skin type, UV index, and age. Most adults need to expose roughly one-third of their skin to the sun for proper vitamin D development — who wants to show that much skin when it’s snowing? 

You shouldn’t have to choose between frostbite and light exposure. While the ideal solution for winter sun might be a tropical getaway, your body needs the light throughout the whole winter, not just for a few weeks of holiday. So bookend that trip with a UV lamp, which brings the sunshine to your desk, bedside, bathroom, wherever you need it! They’re finally catching on in the Americas after being a staple in Northern European locales that only get a few hours of sun a day in the winter. Fortunately, an arctic circle address isn’t required to use these amazing high-tech light tools for a daily dose of sunshine.

The Best Light Therapy Lamps

HappyLight

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SHOP ON AMAZON – $39.99


SMY Blue Light Energy Lamp


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SHOP ON AMAZON – $56.99


Carex Day-Light Classic Plus Bright Light Therapy Lamp


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SHOP ON AMAZON – $119.99


The Northern Light Technologies Boxelite

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SHOP ON NORTHERN LIGHT TECHNOLOGIES – $210


Light Therapy Lamp

SHOP ON AMAZON – $39.98


Erligpowht Light Therapy Lamp at Amazon

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SHOP ON AMAZON – $25.99


Sunrise Sensations DayBright Light Therapy Lamp

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SHOP ON AMAZON – $199


Philips SmartSleep Wake-up Light

SHOP ON AMAZON – $79.95


Lavish Home Sunlight Floor Lamp

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SHOP ON AMAZON – $41.36


Aura Bright Light Therapy Lamp

SHOP ON AMAZON – $31.99

Vitamin D Fortified Foods

Modern light therapy tech is far from the first innovation to help with vitamin D deficiencies. In the U.S. over a hundred years ago, rickets (caused by lack of vitamin D for children) was a common cause of childhood frailty that could develop into lifelong health issues. So what changed to make ‘rickets’ a word you only see in history books? Vitamin D fortified foods!

Most dairy or bread products you pick up at a grocery store, bakery, or local creamery are vitamin D fortified. It’s not just a supplement, getting the vitamin D in the same meal as calcium helps make sure the calcium is fully absorbed. So you’re not only getting vitamin D for your energy levels and immune system, but also preventing osteoporosis.

How To Get Vitamin D In The Winter: Supplements

A potential downside to dietary vitamin D intake is that not everyone can eat those foods. Gluten sensitivities, lactose-intolerance, or vegan/vegetarian diets really limit the options for vitamin-D filled foods. Thankfully, there’s no shortage of vitamin D supplements to help balance that lack. From tablets to gel capsules to liquid drops, your local pharmacy or grocer will have plenty of options in a wide range of doses. Most multivitamins include vitamin D as well, so depending on the rest of your diet and sun exposure, your doctor may decide that a daily multivitamin tablet is the best option for you.

As always, be sure to check with your doctor or pharmacist before adding new supplements to your diet. Over-the-counter tablets can go up to 5,000 IU for people who have vitamin-absorption disorders, but most adults don’t need more than 500-1000 IU a day! Supplements can also cause interactions with other medications you may take, which may mean taking them at different times of the day or simply choosing a different method with your doctor.

Just one or a combination of these tools can help you fend off the winter dreariness of cold and sunless days. 

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